Most of us worry about our health from time to time. But for some people, this worry never goes away and becomes a problem in itself. Health anxiety (hypochondria) is obsessive worrying about your health, usually to the point where it causes great distress and affects your ability to function properly.
Some people with health anxiety have unexplained physical symptoms, such as chest pain or headaches, which they assume are a sign of serious disease despite the doctor’s reassurance. Others may just be permanently anxious about their future health, worrying about things like ‘What if I get cancer or heart disease?’
What causes health anxiety?
There are many reasons why someone worries too much about their health. You may be going through a particularly stressful period of your life. There may have been illness or death in your family, or another family member may have worried a lot about your health when you were young.
Personality can play a role; you may be vulnerable to health anxiety because you are a worrier generally. You may find it difficult to handle emotions and conflict, and tend to ‘catastrophise’ when faced with problems in your life.
Sometimes, health anxiety can be a symptom of a mental illness, such as depression or anxiety disorder, which needs recognising and treating in its own right.
Why health anxiety is a vicious circle
Conditions such as low back pain, irritable bowel syndrome and eczema are known to be triggered or made worse by psychological problems such as stress or anxiety.
When physical symptoms are triggered or made worse by worrying, it causes even more anxiety, which just worsens the symptoms. Excessive worrying can also lead to panic attacks or even depression.
How your GP can help
If you think you suffer from health anxiety, there is much to be gained from a good consultation with your GP. Once your GP has established that you do suffer from health anxiety, and there is no underlying physical cause for any symptoms you might have, they should investigate whether you might have a problem such as depression or anxiety disorder that may be causing or worsening your symptoms. If this is the case, you may be referred for psychological therapy and you may benefit from antidepressants.
If this is not the case, the aim should still be to help you become less worried about your health. You may find that your GP’s advice and self-help resources (see below) are all you need to start feeling better, or you may still benefit from a referral for psychological therapy.
Have I got health anxiety?
If you can answer YES to most of these questions, it’s likely you are affected by health anxiety.
During the past six months:
•Have you been preoccupied with having a serious illness because of body symptoms, which has lasted at least six months?
•Have you felt distressed because of this preoccupation?
•Have you found this preoccupation impacts negatively on all areas of life including family life, social life and work?
•Have you felt you have needed to carry out constant self-examination and self-diagnosis?
•Have you experienced disbelief over a diagnosis from a doctor, or felt you are unconvinced by your doctor’s reassurances that you are fine?
•Do you constantly need reassurance from doctors, family and friends that you are fine, even if you don’t really believe what you are being told?
This article was taken in part from www.nhs.com
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Disclaimer
All content on this website is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. Always consult your own GP if you’re in any way concerned about your health.